A cavern well had to be shut down after Hydrogen Sulfide gas was discovered. Texas-Brine's evaluation showed a low level of the gas, but officials say none of it has been detected in the surrounding communities.

Two weeks ago, Texas-Brine detected amounts of Hydrogen Sulfide in its deepest well. Now the company has reported to the Department of Natural Resources that it has detected amounts of the gas in one of its flow lines in the failed cavern that caused the sinkhole.

According to Assumption Parish Director of OEP John Boudreaux, officials from DNR and his office tested the company's flow line themselves for the gas Thursday but did not detect Hydrogen Sulfide.

OEP and DNR, along with Texas-Brine tested the flow line in the cavern again Friday to see if the gas is present; that is when the low levels of Hydrogen Sulfide was discovered.

Because the gas was detected, the cavern cannot be plugged and the gas will have to be removed as it flows. "They'll have to bring in scrubber units and put those devices in the line and scrub out the hydrogen sulfide as well as remove the hydrogen sulfide and dispose of it in the proper manner," said Boudreaux.

"The other vent operations will continue to monitor for H2S. None of the vent aquifer wells have shown any signs," said Boudreaux.

The Louisiana Office of Conservation ordered Texas-Brine Friday to drill two more wells to provide underground staging points for monitoring equipment. The company has until December 28 to come up with plans to drill the wells, and January 15th to have drilling rigs on-site and ready to begin drilling.

A community meeting is scheduled for Thursday night, December 13, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the Assumption Community Center.

In Assumption Parish, LA the ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. The sinkhole, or slurry, consumed land and trees.More >>

In Assumption Parish, LA the ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. The sinkhole, or slurry, consumed land and trees. Many images are from the Assumption Parish Police Jury. Click here to see the photos from 2012 until now. More >>